Kicking Mules pause to remember freshman car accident victim

— Monroe News photo by ED KELLER
A vigil was held after Friday night’s Bedford football game by students and friends and family members to honor the memory of Kelsey Koepfler, a Bedford freshman who died Sept. 21 after being struck by a vehicle.

High school homecomings are a time for jubilee. Current students are joined by alumni, and together they stand united in school pride. They wear team colors and shout out cheers. On their home field, in their hometown, surrounded by friends who become like family.

But there was one member miss­ing from the family gathering at Bedford Community Stadium Friday night, and, in her absence, the Kicking Mules came together for a deeper reason.

Amid their celebrating, Bedford’s students took time to remember Kelsey Koepfler, a Bedford freshman who died Sept. 21 after being struck by a vehicle while she was walking along Whiteford Center Rd.

Even though their school colors are scarlet and gray, the student sec­tion at Bedford Community Stadium was a sea of royal blue in honor of their classmate.

Whether they knew her well or not, Bedford’s students wore T-shirts with a superman-style ‘K’ emblazoned in red and yellow on the front. The back of the shirts had an image of a superhero cape and the message “In loving memory of Kelsey Koepfler” in curly yellow writing.

Bedford High School Principal Scott Stalker explained that a super­hero theme had been planned for that night’s game prior to Kelsey’s death. Following the accident, Kelsey’s closest friends planned a blue out, because blue was Kelsey’s favorite color. The superman-style T-shirts were created to jive the two themes together.

Following the game, hundreds of students gathered in the grassy area between Bedford Junior and Senior High schools. They lit candles and stood in silence, watching as dozens of paper lanterns floated to the sky in Kelsey’s memory.

“The lanterns represent such a beautiful thing,” Faith Jankowski, a close friend of Kelsey who helped plan the vigil, said. “I wanted to do something beautiful that would (reflect) what a beautiful person she was.”

“It makes me feel better to see ev­eryone supporting her,” Kyla Graves said. Kyla was with Kelsey at the time of the accident. “I didn’t expect this many people (to be at the vigil).”

In the weeks since her death, Kyla and Faith have led fundraisers and memorials for Kelsey. They asked their friends to wear blue on the first day of school after the accident. They designed and sold the T-shirts and wristbands that many of their classmates wore Friday night. All the money from those sales will go to the Koepfler family.

“ We just want to do everything we can to keep her alive in us,” Faith said.

The girls called Kelsey an inspiring person, someone who was always there when her friends needed her.

“She was by best friend,” Kyla said. “I had never had a friend like her. We never fought, we spent every weekend together. I wish people would have gotten to know her better.”

“No matter what she was going through, she set that aside and was there for (her friends),” Faith said. “I hate that she’s not here to cry on my shoulder. I just miss her being here.”

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